Moroccan-Spiced Lentil Bowls

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These hearty vegan lentil bowls feature roasted veggies, crunchy cashews, creamy avocado, and flavor-packed Moroccan-spiced lentils piled over rice or your favorite grain. They’re delicious, incredibly satisfying, and perfect for meal prep.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Moroccan-Inspired

Servings:

Calories: 725kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

1 ½ cups brown rice (or grain of choice)
1 ¼ cups dried brown lentils
12 ounces carrots (about 3 carrots), halved, then cut into 1-inch sections
1 medium broccoli crown, broken into florets (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 (14 ounce/397 gram) can tomato sauce
1 medium avocado, sliced
⅔ cup roasted and salted cashews
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Begin cooking the rice (or grain of choice) according to the package directions.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the lentils into a small saucepan and cover them with a couple inches of water. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and cook the lentils until they're almost done, but just a touch firm at their centers. Drain the water from the pot when they're done.
While the lentils cook, roast the veggies. First, arrange the carrots on the baking sheet and rub them with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Place them in the oven for 10 minutes.
While the carrots roast, prep the broccoli by tossing the florets with a tablespoon of the olive oil. After ten minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the broccoli to the sheet with the carrots. Return the sheet to the oven and continue roasting the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and browned in spots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Cook the onion for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and just starts to brown around the edges.
Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, and black pepper. Cook the mixture for about a minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
Stir in the lentils and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly, but not so long that the lentils get mushy. Remove the skillet from heat and season the mixture with salt to taste.
To assemble, divide the rice among five large bowls, then arrange the roasted vegetables and lentils over the rice. Top each bowl with a few avocado slices, cashews, and a sprinkle of each cilantro and parsley. Serve.

Nutrition